President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the immediate deployment of police personnel to a community in Camarines Sur after an 11-year-old girl detailed alleged harassment and abuse involving a barangay official in a letter that reached Malacañang.
In a statement, Marcos said the letter moved him deeply, admitting it brought him close to tears and left him angered.
He assured the child that authorities would be sent to protect her and other victims, and to investigate those responsible for the alleged wrongdoing.
“I am sending policemen to you and your sisters to protect you and to find anyone who has hurt any of you,” the President said, also promising to support the girl’s education and well-being.
The two-page letter, shared on social media by a Camarines Sur-based non-profit organization, outlined disturbing allegations, including the rape of one of the girl’s “sisters” by the son of a barangay official.
The victim reportedly became pregnant and was allegedly taken by the official to have the pregnancy aborted. She has since stopped attending school after reportedly being assaulted again.
The young letter-writer also claimed that the official subjected their community to threats and harassment, including cutting off access to electricity and water, and destroying or stealing crops.
She described families as living in “survival mode” due to the actions of local authorities.
Appealing directly to the President, the girl asked how children could continue studying under such conditions.
“How will we read if we are being raped? How will we read if our own government people cut our electrical wires so we have no lights?”
She emphasized that they were children uninvolved in politics and simply wanted to pursue their education safely.
The girl reportedly walked out of her elementary graduation to submit a complaint against the barangay official, along with a petition signed by 201 residents.
Marcos assured the child that further assistance would be extended as needed, vowing to ensure their safety and access to education while authorities conduct a thorough investigation.